Emily Kemper | The Chronicle
The Common App is not the only thing that opens on August 1. A tidal wave of back to school hauls and wishlists flood our feeds, breaking up the block of “What to do this summer to get into your dream college” posts. I’ll admit it: I love back to school shopping. Picking out overpriced patterned notebooks, massive packs of highlighters and new outfits helps mitigate the dread of returning to school. But the more videos I scroll past, the more excessive it all seems.
What started as checklists sent from elementary school teachers has spiraled into a blatant excuse for overconsumption, and our culture already has enough of those. While back to school shopping helps us refresh before diving into a new semester of stress, spending money doesn’t have to be the activity that gets us back into an academic mindset. Instead, mentally refreshing for the year gives you a chance to clean out before bringing anything new in.
I know personally I was far overdue for a major decluttering session before my Senior year. I wiped out my email inbox that was still holding messages from seventh grade, tackled the desk drawer so stuffed with papers it wouldn’t open and donated boxes of clothes I no longer wear. Hauls of brand new supplies are definitely fun to watch, but I would be down to endlessly scroll through back-to-school cleaning spree videos instead, ringing in the new semester with that before-and-after satisfaction.
The first few weeks of a new semester is the ideal time to reflect on what went well last year, and what might need some adjusting. You might have a big goal on your mind: get straight As, win a competition, achieve a leadership position. But even small goals like learning life skills or challenging yourself in some small way can turn the dread of returning to school into momentum to carry you through the year.
Back to school shopping is a chance to try out new styles and reinvent your look, but customizing what you already own can often achieve the same effect. I’m no artist, but I spent the first few weeks of school searching for stickers to decorate my Chromebook, doodling with paint markers on my old notebooks and testing out new hairstyles. Of course, buying a new outfit or two isn’t a bad thing. But in an era where it seems like teens can’t do anything without spending money, make a conscious effort to find free ways to achieve that “New year, new me” feeling.
I still love the idea of back to school shopping, but after the first week that excitement is gone. My Sesame Street senior backpack is so small it hardly fits my stuff, my new tops no longer feel exciting to wear and I haven’t used my mini stapler once. But I do get excited to try a new hairstyle every morning, and feel a little happier when I see a clean email inbox for the first time, well, ever.
